Textile finishing process



Patented Dec. 1, 1942 UNITED STAT TEXTILE FINISHING rnocass William J. Thackston, Haddon Heights, N. 1., as-

sis-nor to Riihm phia, Pa.

,[No Drawing. a

v 6 Claims. (01.117-161) This invention relates to, the finishing of textile fabrics.

creased fullness, and other desirable properties to fabrics and yarns.

Such properties are desired because they are necessary for a pleasing and better hand? and increase the attractiveness and sales. appeal of a fabric. In the past sulfonated tallow, sulfonated olive oil or sulfonated castor oil have been used to impart softness. Relatively important percentages of such softening agents are required. To enhance their effect emulsions of fats,

waxes and oils are sometimes used with them and to give greater bulk and stiffness starches, gums,

and fillers are frequently used along with the ally results. Furthermore, it often happens that, though no rancidity develops, oils,'fats or waxes.

which have been applied in emulsified form sweat-ou and leave an objectionable film on the surface of the fabric.

I Recent attempts to substitute certain watersoluble or water-dispersible synthetic products,

More particularly it relates to im H I parting softness, apparent bulk or thickness, in-#, have beenin use up to the 'present time. I have found that certain members of the class of resins, commonlygcalled alkyd resins" may be used to impartt'o' fabrics various jdesirable properties. 7 Of the alkyd resins those which impart theoptisuch as sodium .cetyl sulfate or cetyl sulfonate,

sodium "oleyl sulfate, long chain quaternary aI'nmoniumfcompounds, etc. have not been entirely successful. While these products are usually stable and impart softness, they do'not impart increased fullness or body to fabric. These com Dust containing some of the newer synthetic materials is highly irritating to the nasal tract.

fail to bind the starch to the fibers. I have discovered, however, that certain Inaterials which are resinous in nature may be u ed & Haas Company, Philadel- Application October Is, 1938, Serial No. 235,563

to overcome the difiiculties encountered with the various softening, and finishing agents which mum degree of softness, bulk and fullness with- .out danger of"sweating out," development of rancidity, or discoloration, are those whichfmay be classified as non-drying alkyd resins. "When' these resins'are used in the place of'sulfonated oils or the sulfated orsulfonated synthetic prod-' ucts discussed above, they give a soft finish;

which is pleasant to the touch. At the same time they give'the'fabric a desirable hand" as to fullness and thickness. These non-drying alkyd resins may be used aloneor they may be used,

in conjunction with other finishing agents, such as starch, gums, adhesives,. f ille 'rs and the like.

The influence of these resinous materials on thickeners and fillers is decidedly une cted.

Instead of decreasing their effectiveness, the nondrying alkyds increasethe effects of starches, fillers, ,etc. in contrast to theyinfiuence of the sulfated and sulfonatedmaterials. Thus, instead of thinning out a given starch dispersion,

thenon-drying alkydsthicken it and the fabric finished with theresin-treatedstarch feels fuller,

washedout. As is'well known, textiles softened with sulfonated oils; sulfated higher alcohols, etc. lose their softening agents in the first laundering operation to' which the cloth is subjected. Non-drying alkyds of the kind herein described,

although not entirely fast, resist rapid removal in laundering in a surprising way. Again, vin

contrast to sulfonated oils, other oils and waxes and in contrast .to some syhthetic softening agents the preferred classe of resinous materials does not sweat out". and is not subject to chemical deterioration during storage.

has a further advantage in that smaller amounts of softening agents can be used. Only one-tenth to one-half the amount of mynon -drying alkyd type resins is required to give the efi'ects'of the previously used agents or tiveness, 1

The nondrying...al kyl type resins whichfare useful for the kinds oftextile-finishingwhich havebeen discussed are fcompositions of matter Inade by heating together polyhydric'alcohols;

such as glycerine orglycols, withf diba'sic, acids, such as adipic acid, sebacic acid, phthalic acid, etc., together with modifying non-dryingoils, such as castoroil, r p eed oil,-'cot tonseed oil,

v r The use .of these in. place of previously used material's to surpass theireffec cocoanutoil, etc. Withinthe'temperature; range which is permissible (for. textile. materials 1 these resinous materials are not heat convertible.

Since they do not-harden by oxidatiomthey keep fabrics permanently soft.

It is noted that attempts have been made to utilize convertible alkyd resins in coatings for 3 sizing paper'wouldlikewise be unsuitablei'or pro-- duc ing'desirable, soft finishes in fabrics. 'A resin with a very high stearic acid content has been proposed for'wat'erproofing' paper, but this resin 5 in iabrics in general exhibit'sfmanypf the faults:

which are corrected by'the present invention.

It is an object ofthisainvention-to irnpart de sirablepropertiesto te rtile iabric's'without altering the fabrics as, tdgeneral appearance 'or porosity." It is also an objectto impartto fabrics softness'or sci'tnessand fullness in a moreperfilling agent whichfwill improve the efiects oistarch, gums; and fillers, when they are qused, 'makingthem resistant'to mechanical removal or dusting. Itisa further object to maintain flexie bility and-a smooth, pleasant finish in articles which are sized withstarch; gums, or the like his a still hrrthrobict orthls invention to? provide eflects similar to those imparted by sulionated oils, but to do somore-economically, more eiiiciently and without the disadvantages of thev previously used products.

These objects are accomplished by treating comprising non-drying alkyd type resins alone or with other finishing agents such as starch or' gums and with fillers if they arerequiredi- Since these resinous materials are not watersoluble, they may be" taken up in'laniorfganic solvent 1! they are to be applied in solution. Or-ii they are p full, silkyzhand, which is'expected for high count applied in an emulsion, they rnay beftaken up in a suitable solvent medium and the solution then emulsifledin any appropriate manner. But since in the usualmill applications the'presence of sol:- vents is objectionable andemulsions'are accordingly avoided, I prefer to use aqueous dispersions of non-drying .alkyds which maketheir application safe, satisfactory and efiectiv'e without the useoi' solvents.

pliedin a final clear solvent'bath. The presence ofone- -half to three percent. resin.is suificient to impart the desired effects to'fabric' or garments;

In the more usual methods voi finishing fabrics dispersions are required. "The latter may be 'pre-" pared by stirring into the non-drying resin a concentrated solution of] awetting J agent and if needed, a neutralizing agent such as ammoniaror caustic solution. Water is then added slowly; At first a water-in oil type emulsion forms. but with more water the type of emulsion reverts and a very finely divided dispersion of. resin in water re- 76 suits. Suitable dispersing'agents are alkyl phenhas been overcome;

presentdayfinishing processes; m ersions'mw also be-directly added toistarch baths' or sta'rche filler-baths; I

' The applications! these dispersions does require any important variation "from current textile processing.- The fabric or yarn-mayhem.

through, a bath-containing;thefinishingrmaterial1 I throughrnean's for removing;excesssolution; such as squeezerolls, through meansaiorq then, through such other-stepsasmay be required for finishing the particulart'ype ofiabric. oryarn involved. Details I of typicalprocedures are best? shown the examples: for various types 0!. tab-- manent' way than hasheretoiorebeen available, 2 x It is a further object toprovide 'a softening and quetch using a bath containing 5part sof :a.

dispersion ofba non-drying: alkyd resin, made fromglyceroL fphthalic acid, sebacic acid, and.

castor; oil, in 10'0partsofjco1d water. cloth:

is loop-dried'and tramed-towi'dth Thehand is'iull, thick,- and extremely suit; in-

herent' dryness andharshness of such a =fabrio Example 2.-152. 1e80, combed yarn cotton broadcloth is padded witha dispersionotv a nondrying alkyd, .madeirom glycerol, sebacic fabric with solutions; dispersions, or emulsions bacic acid, castor and rapeseedoils, andoparts of 4% locust bean gum solution in 100'parts'o1 :7 i 3 water at 120!'I".;-squeezing and .dryingr-Aiter By choice of a suitableresinwhich is soluble in a solvent such as mineral thinner,--it is possible to treat some articles for example, those which andfcastor 'oil, using a bath'containi'ng not more thanthree-iourths percent. of the resinous mate-- rial. The clothiis can dried andzdried onarira'me; towidth. Itinay therr begiven a regular calen- The finishazoverccrnest the harsh raspiness this type of construction. andv produces a moist;

drying, the cloth is fram edtO-Width and finished" by passing'through one: nip on a, cold: calender. Y I

f The finished fabric is flrmlrut mellow-and: i'uli} without the usual lack ot, character associated with this type of fabric lacking such a treatment.v

Exdmple4.-64 x 64'--1.65 yard, width cot- I ton sheeting is treated ona starch mangle with a-preparation containing- Cornstarch 4 2 1 Potato star v 3 Talcfl" 1 A 25% dispersion 0i anon-drying alky resin made with terpineol, glycerol,.ma--

leicanhydrideand pine oil 1.0:

in parts or water This mirture was pre pared by adding the ingredients to the water and heating with steam until F. was reached.

The treated cloth was framed, dried and condi-J tioned on a sheetinggrange, iollowed by a heavy calendering; p

The resulting fabric was firm and heavy but 'rnethylol urea and 3 lbs. of

water.

' rapeseed oil product and water to make 100 parts on a back starching -mangle," frame-dried and calendered. The resulting'fabric was heavy, 'yet'fiexible, and extremelysmooth. Further mechanical handling did not disturb-theifinish inanyway, as by loosening of thestarch and filling. 1'

Example 6.-A 28,lb.'spun: rayon-wooli challis g was impregnated on athree roll quetch'wit a f 7 dispersion of an ethylene glycol-sebacic acid-cottonseed oil prodj not and 2 parts of potato starch in 100 partspof mixture of ,4 parts of a 25% r water. The cloth was not dried, framed to width and decated.

Theresulting fabric was woolly "yet pleasantly soapy and full.- This type of finish overcomes sag which is usually noticeable in the drape'of this type of fabric.

Example 7, 48. x 48, 40"width, 2.85 yard, cotton sheeting was padded throughgamlx containing 24 lbs. of tapioca starch, 61 lbs. of dia non-drying alkyd-type resin in 100 gallons of The cloth was can-dried, framed and calendered.

The resulting be described as "leathery instead of being thin and fpapery" as it would have been without the non-drying resinous material.

a The choice of non-drying alkyd-type resinous material will depend upon a number of factors, such as degree of permanency desired, color of resin, odor, cost factor allowed, etc. Some of .the

resins are more resistant to laundering than others and when this is an important factor they should be selected with this in mind. The sebacic acid-castor oil-glycerol products are particularly resistant, while those madewithcocoanut oil are less resistant. The. importance of color depends in large measure upon the color of the material being treated. If white goods it is important that the type and the particular lot of resin possess as little. color as possible.

the nature of the Color of the resin depends upon ingredients, their color,'and the conditions under which they are reacted. Odor must be considered in dress goods and a type of resin used which is very low or free fromodor when applied. For some applications odor is of little importance although it is always advantageous to keep it ataminimum; g a

An important limitation depends upon the composition of these resinous materials. I have found that those non-drying alkyd-type resins which are made with more than about 55% fatty acid glyceride are not suitable for the objects of this invention. Too great a fattyacid content gives excessive oiliness or tackiness.. In most cases too high a fatty acid content gives no reslstance to laundering. Again, with too high a fatty acid content there is danger of discoloration, rancidity and sweating out." v resinous compositions made with about 30 to 50% of fatty acid glycerides or oils. Lower oil contents than 25% mayfail to give the softness and fullness required.

sheeting-was full, soft, and might 7 are being finished,

a 25% dispersion of' I in my process. At the same time resins can bind starches and similar materials .Theythus exhibit the advantages ofboth resinous materials and softeners without I ...the -usual disadvantages. Undoubtedly the fine' state. ofv dispersion,

only "alone but'a'lso with starches, and adhesives.

locust bean gum, "Iceland mo'ss, Irish. moss, wheat-, corn-, tapioca 'rice-, potato, sage-y etc. starches, heat-converted-, oxidized-, acidconverted'-,

Y {and enzyme-converted star'chesfetc.

Fillers which are'widely used includeclays and talc. Bluing may be added to improve whiteness. 'When fabrics or yarn are treated by my process, they become thoroughly impregnated and not superficially coated. This is an important difference between the behavior of hardenable resins and that of the non-drying resins ,used the non-drying to the fibers.

whichfiis obtained by the method described above, is in part responsible for thorough penetration and impregnation. In this respect apparently" dispersions are preferable over emulsions made with resins in solvents, although the latter mayo'ften find use.

By the practice ofzmysinvention it becomes possible to improve 'thekordidary finishing of fabrics, imparting reatersoftness and increased fullness, or producing, more economically finishes fully equal to the. old in desirable properties. In either case the dangers .and'disadvanta'ges inherent in .thepreviously available types of finishing agents are avoided. While the appearance of fabricmay be made brighter, clearer and more pleasing, by the use of non-drying alkyd type resins, the general appearance usually remains substantially asit was before treatment.

Since there are many; variations of this invention which maybe practiced without departing. from the scopether'eof, the examples given are not to be interpreted as limitations.

l. The process of finishing a textile fabric which comprises treating said fabricwith an aqueous, amylaceous'sizing' composition having dispersed therein a small amount of a nonhardening, alkyd resin modified with about 30% to about of a non-dryinghlgher fatty acid glyceride, the amount of amylaceous size contained in the composition being in excess of the amount of resin dispersed in the sizing composition, and drying the'treated fabric. 2. The process of finishing a textile fabric which comprises treating said fabric with a sizing composition comprising water, starch, and a alkyd resin modified I prefer I small amount of a dispersion of a non-hardening, with about 30% to about 55% of a non-drying higherfatty acidglyceride, the'amount of starch'contained in the composition being in excess of the amount of resin dispersed in the sizing composition, and drying the treated fabric.

3. The process of finishing a textile fabric which comprises treating said fabric with a paste comprising water, starch, a water-soluble gum, and a small amount of a dispersion. of a nonhardening, alkydresin modified of a non-drying higher fatty acid glyceride, the amount of starch contained in the paste being in excess of the amount of resin dispersed there- 4. A textile fabric finished with an amyllaceous size having dispersed therein a softener comprising a non-hardening alkyd resin modified with Non-drying, alkyd typ'e resins are useful nota wide variety of gums,-

As examples of. these maybe mentioned gum tragacanth, gum arable,

with 30% to 55% glyceride, contained fatty acid glyceride, the amount of starch coni tained in thesize being in excess of ther'amount of resin contained therein.

in excess of the m a size co n-I 2,808,778; 7 8. Atexti1e fabric finished with 1, size prisingstarch, a water-soluble'fgiim',

amount of a. no e-hardeninmnlkyd resinmodifled with 30% to 55% are non drying i igher fnttyj acid glyceride, the amount/of starch contained in the sizejbein in excess contained therein. v i a of the'famoim 1' 

